


Lily, Did You Know?

by themadmage



Series: Hermione's Nook - A Very Potter Advent Calendar [13]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Christmas Carols, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Parenthood, Pregnancy, Prophecy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2021-02-24 16:34:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21621052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themadmage/pseuds/themadmage
Summary: Pregnant with her and Harry's first child, Hermione's world is shaken by a prophecy. She finds comfort from someone who's been there.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Harry Potter
Series: Hermione's Nook - A Very Potter Advent Calendar [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1534016
Comments: 6
Kudos: 65
Collections: A Very Potter Advent Calendar





	Lily, Did You Know?

Harry had stormed out the moment Kingsley had told them the words of the prophecy he'd witnessed. As much as she wished he were by her side to weather the storm together, she couldn't blame him for his upset. 

Kingsley sighed heavily. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news," he said, somewhat awkwardly. Until he saw Harry's reaction, he probably hadn't considered this bad news. "Is he alright?"

"He will be," Hermione replied with a sad little smile. "Harry's life was also ruled by a prophecy made before he was born. It cost him so much - his parents, a happy childhood, a traditional and secure education... Even today, we're paying for that prophecy with our privacy. Harry blames Trelawney for the life he's led nearly as much as he blames Voldemort. His greatest wish for himself and our family is a normal life, and now- Well. Our son is the subject of a prophecy made before his birth, and it hits close to home, but our lives have been one challenge after another since entering Hogwarts at eleven. Nothing has gotten the best of us before, and it won't start now." Hermione stood from her chair with some effort. "Thank you for telling us, Kingsley. Forewarned is forearmed. Now, I think I should go find my husband and see what sort of state he's in."

Despite what she'd said, Hermione didn't go looking for Harry. He often preferred to work through things on his own, and if she were going to intrude on his solitude she'd need to have her own thoughts in line, first. She apparated to her parents' house on instinct, but stopped herself before telling them about the prophecy. Her mother had been a well of support for the last eight months, but this was as far from the typical worries of a first time parent as Hermione could imagine. 

Before long, she made her excuses and walked to the old park in her neighborhood. She'd spent a lot of time here recently, imagining taking her son to all of her old favorite places and sharing her muggle life with him. It was a simple, mundane dream and she wondered if she could still have it. Christmas carolers sung in the middle distance, and she strained her ears to listen.

 _Mary, did you know?_ _That your baby boy_

_would one day walk on water?_

_Mary, did you know? That your baby boy_

_would save our sons and daughters?_

Hermione snorted bitterly. Forewarned may be forearmed, as she'd said, but so far the experience wasn't one she considered enviable. Before she could sour the park with her bad mood, Hermione left and apparated home.

Harry didn't join her in their flat until late, when Hermione had almost given up waiting and gone to bed alone. He looked exhausted and wrung out. She didn't bother asking him where he'd gone or why, just wrapped her husband in her arms and held him. "He's going to have us," she whispered. "He's got a big destiny, but there's no mortal enemy waiting for him. We'll be there with him every step of the way." She paused as he relaxed against her. "We should have anticipated this, really. Between the savior of the wizarding world and the brightest witch of the age - how could our baby be anything less than the second coming of Merlin?"

Harry snorted half a laugh against her shoulder, and Hermione counted it as a win.

* * *

A tense and emotional week had passed since they'd been told about the prophecy when an owl arrived from the construction company restoring Potter's Hall. Harry had first learned of his ruined ancestral home after the war, and had set a crew to work on its restoration as quickly as possible, site unseen. He'd been informed that there was too much structural damage to safely visit before the repairs were made.

Now, nearly two years later, it was done.

"And not a day too soon," Harry said with a grin. "If we send out the letters right away, we can host our Christmas party there this weekend instead of this cramped little flat."

Hermione took his hand. "Are you ready to see it?"

Upon their arrival at the manor house, Harry and Hermione immediately went in different directions. They'd agreed - today would be for exploring, and tomorrow they'd worry about moving in and decorating for Christmas.

Hermione's first stop was, of course, the library. They'd been told that few of the books had survived the destruction of the building and their subsequent exposure to the elements, but Harry had packed up the library at Grimmauld Place to be moved here and Hermione had an extensive book collection in a library trunk in their flat. The shelves would surely be filled to bursting, soon, and she wanted to survey the space available.

Upon entering the library, however, Hermione's attention was immediately drawn to something else entirely. 

"Hello," a bright voice said from the wall. She'd passed several living portraits on her way here, and greeted each one politely, but she hadn't expected to see-

"Lily Potter?"

Lily smiled warmly from her place on the wall. "You have me at a disadvantage. What's your name?"

"Oh!" Hermione blushed. "I'm sorry. I'm Hermione Jean Granger-Potter. Your... daughter-in-law."

Lily smiled wider, and nodded towards a chair near her frame. "Sit down, please. Tell me about yourself and my son. Is he here, too?"

Hermione sat gratefully, nodding. "He's here, but he's in another part of the house. I'll make sure he knows where to find your portrait. I would go now, except I just sat down. Is his father...?"

"James is in the study." Lily told her. "We were very lucky that our frames weren't damaged like so much of the house. There were elves here when it was destroyed, and they prioritized the portraits to save. So? I want to hear all about your life."

"Well, I'm muggle-born. I sorted into Gryffindor with Harry, and we've been best friends since Halloween of our first year when I was nearly killed by a mountain troll in the bathroom and he and Ron saved my life. Ron Weasley, that is. He's our other best friend. Our little trio stayed close since then, though of course there've been arguments, through six far too eventful years at school - I _will_ tell you about all of that, but perhaps not all at once? The troll incident was not atypical of our Hogwarts career, unfortunately. - before the war demanded we go into hiding while working to destroy Voldemort. Harry won the war almost two years ago, and we finished our NEWTs by correspondence afterwards because it was deemed too disruptive to have _war heroes_ going to classes. After taking the exams Harry went into the Auror academy with Ron, though I don't expect him to make a career out of it. He's good at fighting because he's needed to be, not because he's passionate about it. I took a position as a researcher in the Department of Mysteries, which is all I can say about that even though you aren't alive - I can feel my oaths kicking in. Harry and I married eleven months ago, and as you can see I'm currently thirty-five weeks along with your first grandson."

"That's a time I remember well," Lily said wryly. She shifted and turned in her chair, and for the first time it became obvious that she was even more pregnant than Hermione.

"Oh," Hermione breathed. "You're-"

"I actually gave birth between the point where the painting was finished and when my personality was imbued into the portrait. It's fairly disorienting, being pregnant when I recall giving birth."

"Oh," Hermione said again. "Oh, when did you hear- Lily, did you know? About the prophecy?"

Lily nodded, obviously startled by Hermione's sudden subject change. "That was why I insisted on sitting for portraits when we did. James had quite a time convincing the painter to do mine - it isn't the done thing to create a living portrait of a pregnant woman - but I knew the war was going to get worse, and it might not be safe to sit for one after I had Harry. When I heard the prophecy and knew I might not survive the war... I considered getting portraits done to be very urgent. Eventually the painter conceded, but he mandated that my default pose hide the pregnancy as much as possible."

"How did you handle that? Knowing that your baby would have to do such a big job, and you might not be able to be there for him? How do I do this?"

"Hermione," Lily said with a furrowed brow. "Is there- most first time mothers don't have such big worries."

"There's a prophecy about my baby," Hermione admitted in a rush, wrapping her arms protectively around her middle. "Balance lost, a people torn apart by war, the brightest witch will bear Merlin reborn. The rebirth shall heal the wounds, restore the balance, and bring peace to the world. Merlin will be reborn to the brightest witch of the age at the turn of the year." Hermione huffed. "Why do fate and prophecies always have to put such huge burdens on such little kids?"

"I asked the same thing. Voldemort should have been my generation's problem. I didn't want my baby to have to deal with it."

"But he had to."

"He did," Lily said with a nod. "Fate will have what fate wants. But that didn't mean we stopped fighting our war, or looking for ways to protect our family. Yours is the same."

Hermione chewed her lip for a moment, before nodding slowly. "This prophecy doesn't mean that we can't help, and make things better. It just means that we won't be the ones to finish the job."

"Exactly. You'll work to make the world a better place, and make the job of it easier for your son to finish when it's his turn. And in the meantime, you'll raise him to become a good and just man - which I'm sure you would have done anyway. So really, this prophecy changes very little."

"I suppose you're right," Hermione said with a deep breath. She stood, as quickly and with as much determination as she could manage, and brushed her clothes flat. "Shall I go get Harry?"

Lily's smile brightened. "I'll meet the two of you in the study, with James."

* * *

"Merry Christmas, everyone!" Hermione said with a smile as she and Harry welcomed the Weasley family through the floo.

In the two years since the war, they'd started a tradition of their own - hosting a Christmas party for all of their friends and family on the Saturday before the holiday. They still went to the Burrow on Christmas Eve, and to Hermione's parents' house on Christmas Day, but they enjoyed doing the hosting, too. Hermione had fetched her parents and apparated them to Potter's Hall that morning, while Harry had been at work in the kitchen. The last three days had been spent in a flurry of decorating, and the sitting room where the floo was located was now dominated by a large Christmas tree. 

On either side of the tree were frames - Harry's parents, so that they could join the party. 

"Now, I know it's early," Molly told Hermione once they were all settled in, "But I finished this just this morning, and I find that I don't want to wait another day to give it to you. You know that Harry came to see me, after your meeting with Kingsley?"

Hermione hadn't known, but she nodded anyway.

"We spoke about the news you'd received. I'd like to say I was able to help, but I don't think he was fully settled until after the two of you came here." Molly shared a sly glance with Lily's portrait. "At any rate, you'll both still be getting your usual gifts, but this is for your baby."

Hermione took the package, and unwrapped it carefully. Inside was a royal purple baby blanket. "You knitted this in _ten_ days?" Hermione asked, amazed. Molly blushed, and waved a hand. "That's amazing, Molly. It's beautiful, you must have worked so hard."

"Unfold it, dear, look at the edging."

Around the edges of the blanket, in green and gold, Molly had knitted designs. Dragons, wizard's hats, birds of prey, and a sword. "Excalibur?" Hermione asked knowingly. 

"Indeed, dear. We need not tell everyone, but there's no reason we can't acknowledge things in small, private ways."

"It really is beautiful, Molly. Thank you."

Harry smiled at her. "Yes, thank you, Molly."

"Have you settled on a name?"

Harry and Hermione met eyes, both smiling. Together, they told her, "Emeris."


End file.
